


Tiny Blood Vessels

by cheekaspbrak



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: M/M, Mention of abuse, Richie's mom sucks, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 20:49:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20141776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheekaspbrak/pseuds/cheekaspbrak
Summary: Richie always knew his mom didn’t like him very much, but not like this. When Richie felt like shit, he knew there was only one person who could make him feel better.





	Tiny Blood Vessels

Eddie was used to the silence that overcame his house at night, but it was still something that kept him awake until late. For some reason, the complete lack of sound made it difficult for him to fall asleep, and maybe it was because it made the house seem eery and dangerous, or maybe it was because he was so used to Richie’s constant talking all day long. Either way, his mom wouldn’t let him put a TV in his room or even a radio because “lack of sleep is unhealthy and can lead to you getting sick, Eddie-bear.” Eddie groaned and rolled over in his bed.

_Tap, tap, tap_. He recognized the sound at his bedroom window instantly, eyes shooting open. _Tap tap taptaptaptappatpaptaptpap-_

“Fuck!” Eddie said, a little too loud in the still, quiet air of his room. “I’m coming, Jesus.”

He slipped out of bed and walked over to his window that had his best friend, Richie Tozier, just outside of it. He instantly opened the window and Richie scrambled in, leg dragging over the edge of the windowsill like he didn’t know how to use his limbs. Honestly, he really didn’t. He had grown so fast recently that he was still getting used to his newfound height. Eddie huffed when Richie was able to stand up in front of him, much taller. Why did he get to grow so much and Eddie was stuck in his pint-sized body? He looked at the taller boy with annoyed, furrowed eyebrows.

“What do you want?” He sighed, unable to see the boys usual goofy expression in the dim light.

“I’m sorry,” was all Richie said in response, his voice cracking a little at the end. He shifted to sit down on Eddie’s bed, moonlight spreading over his face. Eddie realized that he was not his normal, silly self but rather sullen instead. He wasn’t looking at Eddie, focusing on something across the room, and his eyelashes were stuck together with tears. Richie drew in a long, shaky breath.

As close as they were, Eddie had only seen him cry once before, when Stan had called him annoying one too many times in a row. They had been walking through the woods, on an adventure of some sort, when Eddie turned around and realized Richie was gone. He hadn’t even made a sound or snide comment, he just disappeared. When he found him, he was sitting with his back pressed against a large boulder and the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes. Eddie crouched next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and Richie started mumbling about how he was so annoying and pretty soon no one would want to be around him. Eddie told him to quit being a dumbass because everyone in the group loved him and that was enough to make Richie smile.

This, though, was different. Richie looked like he was on another planet; he hardly seemed to notice when Eddie sat down next to him.

“What happened, Rich?” His voice was so soft, and Richie stayed still for so long he wasn’t sure he had heard it. But then fresh tears started to flow from his eyes and he looked at Eddie for the first time.

“I….I don’t know,” The sob that came out of his throat made Eddie’s heart break into a million tiny pieces. He reached over to click on the small light that sat on his nightstand.

That was when he saw the bruise blooming over his left cheek, purple already. Eddie knew that bruises were caused from blood vessels breaking underneath the skin and that meant someone had _hit_ Richie, hard enough to cover nearly half his cheek in tiny, broken blood vessels. Without even thinking, his hand jumped up to hold his cheek. Richie’s lips curled down against his will, a strangled noise in his throat as he tried to stop himself from crying.

“Eds-”

“You can cry,” Somehow Eddie knew that was the right thing to say, and the floodgates opened. Sobs moved his body and he curled towards Eddie, his hand finding the other boys shirt and holding on for dear life. The smaller boys hands covered his.

“Hey,” he whispered. “You can stay the night.”

Richie, as though he had been waiting for this, unbuttoned his uncomfortable jeans and tugged them off, sliding under Eddie’s sheets. Looking down at him, Eddie felt his stomach twist. He knew that this friendship had gone far beyond a friendship, and sleeping in each others beds? That seemed like it was one step too far, but Richie looked so helpless, laying on his side with his curls flying every which way. Eddie climbed back into bed after turning off the light.

“What happened?” He asked again, facing his freckled friend. He felt long fingers grab onto his, squeezing.

“I don’t know,” he answered for the second time, but continued. “My mom…she was mad at me again. As usual. But then- then she started saying all this shit about how I should’ve been a girl. That I probably would’ve been quieter or something. And… it hurt so I said some shitty comment back. And she hit me. Like, really fucking hit me.”

Richie talked slow, like he was telling the story as it happened. Eddie could feel his hands shake when Richie’s eyes met his. He was crying again and Eddie just wanted to make it _stop_.

“She didn’t even open-hand slap me. She _punched_ me.” He still looked like he was in shock. He flinched a bit when Eddie’s fingertips brushed over the bruise on his cheek and he curled in on himself. Eddie’s hand instead settled on the side of his neck, the thumb stroking over his cool skin. Richie’s breathing started to become sharp and jagged and Eddie shoved his curly head underneath his chin until he could feel his nose bump up against his collarbone. Eddie felt like he was going to fucking die being so close to Richie like this but also from hearing his sobs as he pressed his face further into his neck.

“Rich…” he trailed off. He had no words for a situation like this.

“Please tell me you won’t ever leave me because I….I talk too much.”

Both of their breathing stopped. A million things raced through Eddie’s mind while he was staring straight ahead with his hand holding Richie’s head in place.

“'Chee, oh my god,” He paused and laughed. “Richie there is nothing I enjoy more than hearing your voice constantly buzz in my ear. I _never_ want you to shut up, even when I tell you I want you to shut up. Please, don’t ever shut up.”

Richie moved against him, tousled head of curls rising to reveal brown, wide eyes. Eddie let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding when he saw the all-too-familiar grin on his face. For a few seconds, a thick feeling settled in the air around them. It was sweet, and timid, and gentle, and Eddie wanted to bottle it up and keep it forever but simultaneously wanted it to go away. He looked at Richie’s lips and thought _oh, fuck_ before moving closer, briefly surprised to see Richie moving closer too, and connected their lips. It was a very quick kiss compared to all the ones he’d seen in movies, but the way Richie giggled told him it wasn’t a bad one.

“I fucking love your laugh, you absolute dork.” Eddie whispered as he pressed a kiss to said dorks soft hair.

“I fucking love _you_.” He returned, moving impossibly closer. Eddie only hummed in response, wrapping his arms entirely around his lanky lover, and squeezed him tight.

Eddie had never slept more soundly. The gentle murmurs Richie made in his sleep made his room feel like a much more comforting place.


End file.
